war of the spider queen 1 dissolution-第35部分

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les　could　do　it；　it　would　surely　present　no　difficulty　to　a　high　priestess。
Umrae　lunged；　Faeryl　lashed　the　cloak　in　a　horizontal　arc。　Possibly　thanks　to　luck　as　much　as　skill；　the　garment　blocked　Umrae's　hands。　Her　talons　snagged　in　the　weave。
Surprised；　Umrae　faltered　in　the　attack　and　struggled　to　free　her　hands。　Faeryl　stepped　through　and　smashed　the　pointed　stone　head　of　her　hammer　into　the　center　of　the　servant's　carious　brow。　Bone　crunched；　and　Umrae's　head　snapped　backward。　A　goodly　portion　of　her　left　profile　fell　off　her　skull。
Certain　the　fight　was　over；　Faeryl　relaxed；　and　that　was　nearly　the　end　of　her。　Transformed；　Umrae　could　evidently　endure　more　damage　than　almost　any　creature　with　warm　flesh　and　a　beating　heart。　She　opened　her　mouth；　exposing　long；　thin　fangs；　and　what　was　left　of　her　head　shot　fornotward　over　the　top　of　the　cape。　The　ambassador　only　barely　managed　to　fling　herself　back　out　of　the　way　in　time。
The　piwafwi　was　stretched　taut　between　the　two　batants；　as　if　they　were　playing　tug…of…war。　Both　yanked　on　it　simultaneously；　and　Faeryl　was　the　luckier。　The　cloak　tore　free　of　Umrae's　grasp；　but　despite　the　garment's　reinforcing　enchantments；　it　returned　to　the　ambassador　with　long　rips　the　ghoul's　claws　had　cut。　A　few　more　such　rendings　and　it　would　be　useless。　The　cape's　sudden　release　also　sent　Faeryl　stumbling　backward。　With　another　beat　of　her　festering　wings；　Umrae　hopped　and　closed　the　disnottance。　Her　clawed　hands　shot　forward。
Crying　out　in　desperation；　Faeryl　managed　to　plant　her　feet　and　arrest　her　helpless　stagger。　She　lashed　out　with　the　hammer　and　clipped　one　of　Umrae's　hands。　The　imitation　ghoul　snatched　it　back　and　gave　up　the　attack。　Instead；　she　began　to　circle。　Just　as　a　living　creature　would；　she　shook　her　battered　extremity　several　times　as　if　to　dislodge　the　pain；　then　lifted　it　back　on　guard。
Faeryl　turned　to　keep　the　foe　with　her　crushed；　half…flayed　head　in　view。　What　is　it　going　to　take　to　stop　this　thing？　the　ambassador　wondered。　Can　I　stop　it？
Yes；　curse　it！
When　she　was　a　child；　her　cousin　Merinid；　weapons　master　of　House　Zauvirr；　dead　these　many　years　since　her　mother　tired　of　him；　had　told　her　that　any　opponent　could　be　destroyed。　It　was　just　a　matter　of　finding　the　vulnerable　spot。
Umrae　lunged。　Once　again；　the　ambassador　snapped　out　the　folds　of　her　frail；　flapping　shield。　The　cloak　entangled　one　of　the　servant's　hands。　The　other　raked；　rasping　and　snagging；　across　Faeryl's　coat　of　fine　adamannottine　links。　The　winged　ghoul's　touch　sowed　cramping　sickness　in　its　wake；　but　the　claws　hadn't　quite　sheared　through　the　sturdy　mail；　and　the　sensanottion　only　lasted　an　instant。
Faeryl　swung　at　Umrae's　withered　chest　in　its　covering　of　filthy；　crumnotbling　cloth。　If　she　couldn't　slay　the　ghoul…thing　with　a　strike　to　the　head；　then　the　heart　must　be　the　vulnerable　spot；　just　as　with　a　vampire。　Or　at　least　she　hoped　so。
To　her　surprise；　Umrae　denied　her　the　chance　to　find　out　one　way　or　the　other。　It　looked　as　if　the　traitor　had　so　mitted　to　her　attack　that　she　would　find　it　impossible　to　defend　against　a　riposte。　Yet　she　interposed　her　withered　arm　to　take　the　shock　of　the　war　hammer；　then　stooped　to　claw　at　Faeryl's　unarmored　knee。
The　envoy　avoided　that　potentially　crippling　attack　with　a　fast　retreat；　meanwhile　ripping　the　cloak　away　from　her　foul…smelling　adversary。　The　garment　was　starting　to　look　more　like　a　bunch　of　ribbons　than　one　conotherent　piece　of　silk。　The　duelists　resumed　circling；　each　looking　for　an　opening。　Occasionnotally　Faeryl　let　the　tattered　piwafwi　slip　or　droop　out　of　line；　offering　an　innotvitation；　but　Umrae　proved　too　canny　to　attack　when　and　how　her　opponent　wished　her　to。
Faeryl　realized　she　was　panting　and　did　the　best　to　control　her　breathnoting。　She　wasn't　afraid…she　wasn't…but　she　was　impressed　with　her　sernotvant's　potion…induced　prowess。　Formidable　from　the　moment　she　imbibed　it；　Umrae　was　truly　getting　the　hang　of　her　borrowed　capabilities　as　the　battle　progressed。
While　still　maneuvering　and　keeping　an　eye　on　Umrae；　Faeryl　nevernottheless　entered　a　light　trance。　With　a　sense　that　was　neither　sight；　hearnoting；　nor　any　faculty　prehensible　to　those　who'd　never　pledged　her　service　to　a　deity；　she　reached　into　that　formless　yet　somehow　jagged　place　where　she　had　once　been　accustomed　to　touch　the　shadow　of　the　goddess。
The　presence　of　Lolth　had　absented　itself　from　the　meeting　ground；　leaving　a　vacancy　that　somehow　throbbed　like　a　diseased　tooth。　Still；　it　seemed　an　appropriate　domain　in　which　to　pray。
Dread　Queen　of　Spiders；　Faeryl　silently　began；　I　beg　you；　reveal　yournotself　to　me。　Restore　my　powers；　even　if　only　for　a　moment。　Has　Menzoberranzan　offended　you？　So　be　it；　but　I'm　not　one　of　her　daughters。　I'm　from　Ched　Nasad。　Make　me　as　I　was；　and　I'll　give　you　many　lives…a　slave　every　day　for　a　year。
Nothing　happened。
Umrae　sprang　in；　clawing。　Faeryl　jerked　the　part　of　her　spirit　that　had　groped　in　the　void　back　into　her　body。　Retreating；　she　blocked　the　undead　creature's　claws　with　her　cloak　and　struck　a　couple　blows　with　the　war　hammer。　She　didn't　withdraw　quickly　enough　to　take　herself　pletely　out　of　harm's　way；　nor　did　she　settle　into　a　strong　stance　and　swing　as　hard　as　she　could　have。　She　wanted　the　ghoul　to　feel　on　the　brink　of　overwhelming　her　opponent　and　keep　ing。　If　Umrae　grew　too　eager；　she　might　open　herself　up　for　an　effective　counterattack。
Umrae's　talons　whizzed　through　the　air；　tearing　scraps　from　the　shelternoting　cloak　until　it　was　the　size　of　a　ragged　hand　towel。　Unexpectedly；　the　spy　beat　her　riddled　wings；　hopped　in　close；　and　struck　at　Faeryl's　face。　The　noble　recoiled；　but　even　so　the　claws　streaked　past　a　fraction　of　an　inch　before　her　eyes；　so　close　she　could　feel　the　malignancy　inside　them　as　a　pulse　of　headache。
Still；　it　was　all　right；　because　she　thought　Umrae　was　finally　open。　She　sidestepped　and　swung　her　stone…headed　hammer　at　the　ghoul's　rib　cage…
…to　no　avail；　even　though　Faeryl　had　been　correct；　Umrae　couldn't　swing　her　hands　around　in　time　to　block　the　blow。　Instead；　she　took　annotother　stride；　slapped　the　ambassador　with　a　flick　of　her　wing；　and　sent　her　reeling。
Faeryl's　head　rang；　and　the　world　blurred。　As　she　struggled　to　throw　off　the　stunning　effects　of　the　blow；　she　thought　fleetingly　how　unfair　it　was　that　Umrae；　who　had　long　ago　forsaken　bat　training　as　a　humiliating　exercise　in　futility；　was　demolishing　a　female　who　still　doggedly　reported　to　her　captain…of…the…guard　for　practice　once　a　tenday。
After　what　seemed　a　long　time；　her　head　cleared。　She　whirled；　certain　that　Umrae　was　about　to　attack　her　from　behind。　She　wasn't。　In　fact；　the　animate　corpse　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。
Plainly；　Umrae　had　taken　to　the　air。　Had　she　finally　done　the　sensible　thing　and　fled？　Faeryl　couldn't　believe　it。　Umrae　hated　her。　The　envoy　didn't　know　why；　but　she'd　seen　it　in　the　traitor's　eyes。　Such　being　the　case；　Umrae　wouldn't　break　off　when　she　had　every　reason　to　believe　she　was　winning　and　close　to　making　the　kill。　No　drow　would；　which　meant　she　was　still　hovering　somewhere　overhead；　poised　to　swoop　down　and；　she　undoubtedly　hoped；　catch　her　mistress　by　surprise　and　smash　her　to　the　ground。
Her　heart　pounding；　Faeryl　peered　upward　and　saw　nothing。　She　lisnottened　for　the　beat　of　the　creature's　wings　but　heard　only　the　eternal　muffled　whisper　of　the　city　as　a　whole。　She　wasn't　entirely　surprised。　The　undead　were　famously　stealthy　when　stalking　their　prey。
A　black　sliver　momentarily　cut　the　line　of　violet　luminescence　adorning　a　spire　of　the　castle　of　House　Vandree。　The　obstruction　had　surely　been　the　tip　of　one　of　Umrae's　wings。
Faeryl　stared　for　ano